Toy bank



March 27, 1945. J, A, MUN OE 2,372,388

TOY BANK Filed me 7, 1944 jnuenjbr J 4 Munrae Patented Mar. 27, 1945 UNITED STATE SZIPATENT OFFICE I TOY BANK John A. Munroe, Toronto. Ontario, Canada Application June 7, 1944, Serial No. 539,079

- 6 Claims.

an aperture into the body. A distinctive-feature of construction is that the aperture is provided with a closure which is automatically opened as the coin is tossed, and a further salient feature is that the mechanical device for operation of the head is arranged for operation by movement of the tail of the animal and is such as to impart a flicking movement to the head.

The invention provides an interesting and amusing penny bank which by virtue of its novel characteristics of construction and operation encourages a child to save money.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the bank showing parts broken away to more clearly depict the interior construction.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the manner of tossing a coin into the receptacle.

'Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a, sectional detail of the body taken on line 4 -4 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures throughout the drawing.

In carrying out the invention, I provide a stat uette preferably in the form of a grotesque ele phant, the body H) of which is hollow and provides a receptacle I l for coins or objects of value which may be deposited therein from time to time. The body is a cylindrical housing or case formed in two parts for convenience in manufacture and assembly. The parts are similar halves having a peripheral junction provided with a flange 12 or other common means by which they are held in registration as will be well understood in the art. Said halves or parts are furnished with ordinary means, indicated at [3, for detachably securing them in assembly. Legs I 4 support the body, the head of which is denoted at [5 and the tail at I6.

The head is desirably a chambered cylindrical member extending into the receptacle H by means of an aperture provided in the body. The

The head is connected to a mechanical device for tossing the coin' backwardly through head has a central pivotal axis I! by which it is free to turn vertically, the movement being constrained by stops |8a to an up and down motion such asto produce the effect of the animal tossing its head. The trunk I8 is upturned and has its end constructed with a device 19 suited to I an animal with a seat a coin 20 edgewise. The arrangement is such that an upward flick of the head will toss the coin backward so that it may fall or' be guided into a slot 2| in the top of the body I!) for deposit in the receptacle.

The slot 2| is normally closed by a lid 22 rearwardly hinged and having a limited opening movement. The lid has an arm 23 within the receptacle aforesaid and connected as by a flexible element 24 or the like, with the head at a suitable point remote of its axis such that an opening movement will be imparted to the lid by upward movement of said head. The lid is self closing.

The head is connected by a mechanical device to the tail so that when the latter is raised a flicking action will be imparted to the head. The tail is pivoted at 25 for this purpose and operates in an aperture. The mechanical device consists of a bar 26 extending forwardly from the tail and having its distal end loosely engaged in a hole 21 in the rear part of the head. A coilspring 28 is sleeved on the'bar and shoulder at the proximal end thereof. The spring is also shouldered against the head and held under light compressive stress so as to exert a turning force on the head.

It Will be manifest that by this construction the rear portion of the head forms a toggle joint with the bar, and in normal position the bar is disposed above dead centre thereof, as in Fig. 1. The bar is urged downwardly by raising the tail and on passing dead centre the spring imparts an upward flick to the head so as to toss the coin into the receptacle. A return movement of the tail causes the lowering of the head. The advantage of this construction is that it obviates the personal equation in flicking the head and assures that it will be motivated by a uniform force suitable for tossing the coin with the force required to enter the slot.

Such changes and variations of the invention may be resorted to as come with the scope of the ensuing claims.

What I claim is:

1. A toy bank comprising a case representing v body, a head and a tail, the body having a coin-receiving slot communicating with a receptacle, the head and the tail being pivoted, a device on the head for holding a coin forwardly of the pivotal axis thereof, and a spring urged device by which movement of the tail is utilized for flicking the head upwardly about its pivotal axis to toss the coin into said slot.

2. A toy bank comprising a case representing an animal with a body, a head and a tall, the body having a coin-receiving slot communicating with a receptacle, the head and the tail being pivoted, a device on the head for holding a coin forwardly --oithe pivotal axis? th'ereof ari'd' a spring urged device having a 'to'ggle 'joinflaction by which the head is flicked upwardly about its pivotal axis to toss the coin into said slot when the tail is moved manually.

3. A toy bank comprising a case representing an animal with a body, a head-' and"='a*-'tail, the body having a coin-receiving slot communicating with a receptacle, the head and the tail being pivoted, a device on the head for holding a coin forwardly of the pivotal axis thereof a bar forwardly extending from the taillandihavirig'jits distafe'nd 'l'o'osely' engagedin 'ahole' in the'rear 'ort'ijon of "the "head, and J a spring cmountedffor "applying pressure I'on thelhe'a'd and being shiitiable'through :a dead 'centr'ejposition "bymove- "men't of said bar'in 'afmanrrer to cause the'head "tobef flicked upwardly for tossing theico'in "into "said slot. v v

"4.:A' structure-as defined-in claim 1' in which the coin-receiving slot has a pivoted closure pro vided with a mechanical connection for opening it concurrently with upward movement of the head.

5. A figure money bank representing an elephant and comprising a hollow body providing a coin receptacle and having a slot in its back for receiving coins, a cylindrical head fitted loosely in an aperture in said body and pivotally supported for vertical movement, stop means for p and J'down angular head for edgewise seating a coin, a tail pivoted in a slot in the body, a bar in said body extendi-ng forwardly from the tail and engaged loosely in a hole provided in the rear portion of the head and forming therewith a toggle-joint whose 'linkage is abovedead centre when the head is in normal position and a coil-spring sleeved on said ear-and shoulder to apply pressure on the head ,in thegeneral direction of its pivotal axis so that "whenthebar'is'swung downwardly past a dead centre position .the'lhead' -will be flicked upwardly to toss the "coin in 'theslot aforesaid.

6 A structure as claimed in claimiSQinWhich the said 'slot has'ia lid"rearwardlypivoted and provided with'anarm connected to the headby a "flexible elementfor raising it to aposition for guidiiig'the coin into'the slot.

. TJOHN1AMUNROE. 

